Chicken-feeder.



E. W. DANA.

CHICKEN FEEDER.

APPucATloN FILED MAR. 29, 191e.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

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EDGAR WRD DANA, OF PLATTEVILLE, VTISCONSIN.

CHICKEN-FEEDER.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDGAR W.v DANA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Platteville, in the county of Grrant and lState of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Chicken-Feeder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

General objects vof ymy invention are to provide a chicken feeder in which a plurality of feed pans will be automatically released at predetermined intervals; and to provide a chicken feeder in which a feed pan will be given movement to eectively scatter the feed. f

More specific objects of the invention are to provide means to protect the feed in the pans until the latter are released; and to kprovide a chicken feeder o'f the class referred to and its controlling means, simple in construction and reliable in operation and which may be employed in connection with an ordinary clock movement vto effect release of the pans. l

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description following.

VReference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in whichV similar'reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

rFigure 1 is a side elevation of a chicken feeder embodying. my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the pans. f

In carrying out my inventionin the'form given in the illustrated example, a suitable base 10 is provided on which is a pivot post 11 and on said post a series of pans 12 are pivoted one above another, preferably by forming parallel anges 13 thereon at one end. The bottom flange 13 of the lowermost pan may rest on a shoulder 14 on the post 11 and washers 15 may be employed, if desired, between the flanges 13 of the successively higher pans. On the top of the post a retaining nut 16 vis provided.

For each pan 12 a separate coll spring 17 is provided on the post 11, one arm of the spring being engaged in a keeper .18 on the pan and the other end of the sprlng being fastened by a pin 19, or the like, to the said post. When the pans are swung to the position one above another, the springs 17 are placed under tension'and have a tendency to swing the pans laterally. When Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed March 29, 1916. Serial N o. 87,470.

the outer end of the pan is open so that the pan kswings under action of a spring l17, the feed will be effectively scattered, the pan being swung through almost a complete circle to a stop post 20.

On the second post 21, near the top, the upper end of a restraining bar 22 is pivoted asatl23 and on said bar a plurality of lateral arms 24 project to overlap the adjacent sides of the pans 12 to restrain the said pans againstgmovement. The relative length of the arms 24 is such as to release the pans in succession as the bar 22 is swung through an angle under the action of the releasing mechanism.

1 To release the pans 12, bar 24 is connected with a rack bar 25fby a slot and pin connection, said rack bary having a slot 26 and there being a pin 27 extending through the slot from the bar 24. A pointer 28 is secured to the post 21 or other convenient fixed member, and a spring coil 29 tends to maintain the pointer in position adjacent to the said rackbar. vThe teeth of the vrack bar mesh with a .pinion 30 onthe hour hand of a clock movement, indicated generally by the numeral 31 and here shown as a known form of clock.

A scale is produced on the face of the rack bar 25, the said scale having a relation tothe peripheral travel of the pinion 30.

In setting the device for automatic action by the clock movement, the rack bar 25 will be sol positioned relatively to the restraining' bar' 22 thatk ay given longitudinal movement of said rack bar will trip the bar 22 at the predetermined hour. For instance, if at eight in the evening, the device is to be set to release a pan at six a. m., the rack bar 25 will be positioned with the pointer 28 at'the tenth mark in the graduation on the said bar.

The ends of the pans are protected by a fixed vertical shield 32, suitably secured to the post 21 by a bracket plate 33. The top pan is protected by a cover plate 35 beneath which the pans are disposed when in the restrained position. The shield 32 is provided with slots 34 through which the arms 24 extend for engaging the respective pans.

I wish to state in conclusion that although the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably variedipwithout de parture from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1., A feeder, including a plurality of feed pans, means for separately moving said pans laterally, restraining means for the pans,

and unitary means common to all the pans to release said pans from the restraining means at predetermined intervals to permit movement of the pans by' the first-mentioned means. Y

2. A feeder, including a plurality of piv- `otally mounted feed pans, means to.y swing said pans on their pivots. to discharge the feed therefrom under centrifugal force, and unitary means common to all of said pans to release said pans in .succession at premovement thereof on its pivot, andv a continuously driven motor adapted to disengage the restraining means to release the pan after a predetermined period of operation of the motor.

4. In a feeder of the class described, a feed pan presenting an open top and an open free end and mounted to Yswing in an are to discharge the contentsof the pan by centrifugal force, spring means to swing the pan, means to restrain the pan from movement by said spring means, a fixed guard positioned to close the open end of the pan when the latter is in the restrained position, a fixed cover beneath which the pan is positioned when restrained, and means operable after a predetermined period to copfes of this patent mayY bepbtainedffbr to swing the pan away from the restrained position adjacent/'to the cover and guard.

5. A feeder, including a plurality of feedV pans pivotally mounted one above another' for separate swinging movement, separate Vrelease-the'pan and permit the spring means springlmeans to swingsaid pans,y a restrain- Y arms fromthe pans, andmeans operable after a pre-determined period to give a releasing movement to said restraining bar..

6. A feeder including a plurality: of pivotally mounted feed pains, means for sepafV ratelyy swinging said feed pans on their pivots, the pans having open ends to discharge feed under Centrifuga-1 force, a stop: to arrest the swinging movement ofthe: pans, restraining means to hold saidpansagainst pivotal movement, `and 'unitary means eom-v mon to all the pans. tonreleasefthe` pans from the restraining means at predetermined in-v tervals. n

7. A feeder including a plurality ofY vpivotal'ly mounted feedpans, means to' separatelly swing said pans ontheirp-ivotmmeans to restrain' said pans against swinging move.L ment, means 'to releasesaid restraining means and including aj graduatedrrack bar having a slot and pin connection with vthe restraining Emeans, a pointer adj'acenttothe graduation of said raelr bar, a, pinion withV which the said rack baris adaptedfto. bef en; gaged', and'aclock movement to actuate said pinion. Y if if In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this speeicationin the .presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

WM. J.B0LL,

A. BnUNeKHoRsT.

ve cents each, by addressing ythe y"Gonunissionel" of Patents Washington,.D.C."' i

' EDGAR WARDDANA. A 

